Sing From The Heart!
by JustLatte
Summary: Molly's a pretty simple girl who has had a pretty rough life thus far. The only thing that sets her apart is her amazing voice. She moves to Castanet to help her dream prosper, and her passion seems to turn a few heads; but, where there's hope, there's always despair lurking to take it out. Collab story by LatteCurlz and MidnightxMusic!
1. Chapter 1: Conflicts Already?

This is a new fan fiction! YAY! It's a collaboration fic by LatteCurlz and MidnightxMusic! A treat to you all! Be sure to read and review!

Midnight: Of course they'll read! It's gonna be awesome!

Latte: Don't I know it! I hope they like it though.

Both: We don't own Harvest Moon or any of these characters!

Latte: QAQ That part pains me everytime.

Midnight: T-T I know...

Note: Bold means flashback, italics is thoughts!

**(A/N:) We're not entirely sure how this works. We're just going to learn how to use the DocX thingy as we go sooooo...bare with us!**

* * *

><p><strong>,',','. Molly's POV .',',', <strong>

"Mommy made me mash my M&M's. OH NO!" I sang in a low octave as I brushed my neck length, poofy hair. I looked at myself in the small mirror that sat atop my vanity. I then raised my octave and repeated the tune.

"Mommy made me mash my M&M's. OH NO!"

*Knock knock knock*

The door burst open without my consent to the person on the other end of it.

"I've brought some food for ya!" The orangette said with a wide grin. She set it on my vanity table. I couldn't help but to smile at her, she was so full of energy, it was a great contrast to where I had been just two weeks ago. I took a bite of the freshly made meal.

"It's delicious!" I said in delight and she smiled even wider (if that was possible).

"Of course it is! My grandma made it after all!"

"Yolanda is too talented for her own good." I told her and she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah!"

I began to eat my food and I found myself humming a little tune.

"Wow!" The girl suddenly exclaimed, I had no idea that she was still there!

"What is it Maya?"

"You're really good at that!" She exclaimed again.

"What? You mean humming?"

"Yeah, that!"

"It's only humming…"

Maya shook her head furiously.

"No, you sounded so _good_! It sounded like my taste buds after I eat one of Chase's self-made meals!"

I laughed at her reaction but, I was really glad she said that. I loved singing, I practiced day and night. To be complimented so highly on just my humming was really flattering.

"Thanks Maya. It means a lot. But you've never really heard me sing."

Maya clapped her hands in a fit of glee and got a really hopeful look in her eyes.

"How about, after we close up tonight, you sing for me and my family! It'd be a good wind down from today's service and you could practice as loud as you want!"

I mulled it over for a moment.

"I don't know..."

Maya suddenly gave me a look. Her blue eyes burning deep into my heart and piercing my-

"Alright, alright! Geez, what a puppy." I muttered.

"_YAAAAY_!" I'll go let everyone know!" Maya mentioned before she pranced happily out of the room.

"Hey Mom, Dad! Guess what?" I heard her shouting through Ocarina Inn. I sighed and flopped on my bed, remembering my last moments that I had before coming here.

:::.:::

**"I spread my wings and I learn how to fly! I do what it takes till' I touch the sky! I gotta make a wish take a-"**

***Ding ding ding***

**The bell that lay on the counter ringed as a late night visitor called my attention. I jumped from my daze that I was in while I was singing and washing dishes, and sighed with **** exhaustion. **

**"We were just about to close up, hon." I called to the man with my fake country accent. It was part of the job description.**

**"You can drop the act girly. I heard you singing." He called, it was a young man who looked to be at least 25. He had dark brown hair and lime green eyes.**

**I blushed furiously from embarrassment.**

**"I'm very sorry." I said, pulling a pad of paper and a pencil out to take down his order.**

**"I'm not. I'll be damned if I was. That's quite a voice you've got Miss..."**

**"The name's Molly." **

**"Molly what?" He asked and I smirked.**

**"Don't worry about the miss part. Just call me Molly. M-o-l-l-y." I introduced myself.**

**"Well Molly. With a voice like that you could get yourself a much better job as a singer."**

**"Thanks for that sir."**

**"It's Veb. Call me Veb."**

**"Thanks Veb. Where ya comin' from?"**

**"Everywhere. And if I might say. You could probably expand your horizons at this little town I visited not too long ago on a nice island."**

**My eyes sparkled.**

**"You don't say...what is this island called?"**

**"Castanet. A nice little place with great people. Here's the location. Check it out sometime." Veb scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to me.**

**"Thanks...I will..."**

:::.:::

I sighed at the memory. I wondered when I was going to get my big chance here like Veb had said I would.

"Molly, the store is all closed up now!" I heard Maya shout to me. I glanced at the wall clock in the room they had given me. It was, indeed, 10:03. I hadn't realized my reminiscing had lasted so long.

I sighed and got up.

_"Maybe now would be my chance." _I thought and walked out towards the Inn's main area.

I looked to see Colleen, Jake, Yolanda, and Maya. All sitting and waiting to hear me sing. The other resident, Calvin, must not have come back yet.

I looked at them awkwardly. Now, I wasn't shy or anything, but when people stare at you like they expect to have their minds blown it _is_ just a tad bit unnerving.

_"Here goes something..._" I thought.

I started to sing a simple song that I had learned recently. It wasn't too flashy but it certainly got their attention. When I got to the hook Maya was dancing out of her seat and the older audience smiled and clapped along. After I stopped they all cheered and Maya gave me a flying hug.

"That was _A-MA-ZING!_" She sang and I chuckled at her behavior.

"Oh stop..." I flushed, soaking in the compliment like a sponge. I was so easy to please.

"Really Molly! That was really great. Your singing skills are top notch!" Yolanda praised me and I beamed at it.

"That voice could get you somewhere." Jake said with a smile.

"It was lovely. Your voice is so beautiful." Colleen agreed.

Jake looked at me, deep in thought for a moment. His ice blue eyes seemingly observing me.

"Wh-what is it?" I asked him.

"Nothing...I just thought of something for a moment. Don't worry about it." Jake waved it off as nothing.

"Well, it's getting late. We should get to bed." He announced and Yolanda nodded in agreement.

A knock sounded at the door and Jake answered it to let Calvin in. Calvin tipped his hat in greeting.

"Sorry I'm late. I was caught up in something at the mines." He said.

"Your loss Calvin! You didn't get to hear Molly sing!" Maya bragged and then her attention caught on something else as she moved away.

"So it was you singing in the shower this morning?" He asked and I nodded timidly in response.

"Well, next time send out a memo. I thought I was dreaming or something. You're pretty good."

"_NO_ midnight snacking Maya!" Colleen warned her daughter who was sneaking towards the kitchen. She pouted in return.

"What makes you think I would do that?" Maya argued pitifully.

Colleen sighed with resignation. There was no way that Maya would listen to that rule. It would _kill_ her to not eat at all hours of the day!

I smiled at the family moment that played out in front of me. It was silly, but warm...

"They're a little quirky...but it makes me miss my family back on the mainland. What about you?" Calvin said.

"Yeah..." I mumbled distantly as Calvin and I shuffled to our separate rooms.

I slowly prepared myself for bed. As I lay down on the soft sheets only one thought passed through my head before I snuggled in and drifted off to sleep.

_Miss them...**that's** the problem..."_

**oXoXoXo**

I awoke the faint smell of eggs and pancakes and propped right up.

"Molly! Ya smell that?" Maya popped into my room, fully clothed.

"Do I ever!" I shouted and got ready really quickly, getting a quick two minute shower in.

"Hurry up or I'll eat it all!" Maya yelled as she ran through the halls towards the dining area for the family (which they so graciously allowed me and Calvin to eat in as well).

Calvin was already there, his usual hat hanging on a hook as he patiently and politely waited at the table. I tried not to pounce on the pancakes that Yolanda was setting on the table but I couldn't help but feel the need too in fear that Maya would do it before me.

As soon as she served us we all dug in and scarfed down the banquet along with the three older residents of the Inn.

"Thanks for the food." I said after I had finished feasting like a cannibal. What can I say, Yolanda is like a food magician.

The day went by slowly as I usually helped out around the Inn, not getting out much makes the time drag by. I had met all the residents from just helping out here at the Inn so it's not like I was socially deprived. I looked forward to chatting with all of them, and I found out that Maya had the hots for the sarcastic, moody, and extremely rude apprentice of Yolanda, Chase. Not that I was judging her taste _at all_. It was a good deal though. I worked here, they gave me free boarding.

By mid-afternoon, business had slowed down and I was lounging on one of the many cushioned seats, chatting with Maya.

"So, how do you like it here Molly? Made a lot of friends, besides me of course!" Maya said, chipper than ever.

"Well, I do enjoy talking to Julius. He's really fun, even if he does seem a little fruity. And Kathy from the Brass Bar is pretty nice, if not a little rough around the edges here and there, but I guess I can't be talking. Selena seems a little haughty though, I'm not sure how well we'll get along. I do like Luna though. We've been getting along pretty well for a while."

"What about guys?" She asked shyly and I got her hint.

"Well I do like to chat with Toby a lot. Luke's pretty cool...but I have this _immense_ liking for Chase and-"

"Wh-wh-_WHAT!_ Molly, no! I can't fight with you over a boy! I can't!" Maya whined.

"Calm down, calm down. It was a joke." I laughed and Maya pouted childishly.

"Oh, that wasn't funny. You got me worried there for a moment. If you joke with Luna about who she liked like that then you would be sorry ya know..." Maya said.

"But you aren't Luna." I chuckled.

Just then the bell of the Inn ringed, signifying a customers entrance. Maya and I stood up abruptly.

"Welcome!" We said at the same time. I looked at the customers before us now. There stood Luke, Hamilton (the mayor of the town), and a third person who I didn't meet before.

"Sup Molly. Yo Maya!" Luke greeted us in his energetic way.

"Whats up Luke!" I greeted him back and Maya gave a wave.

"Just came to grab a bite to eat with my best bud who _just_ got back from some business trip on the mainland!" Luke said, grabbing the young, blonde male in a headlock.

"Luke! _Stop it_!" The guy said in a very light, yet still deep voice.

Hamilton chuckled.

"Oh Gilly, Luke's just happy to see you."

"Gilly?" I questioned and the blonde pulled from Luke's grip, glared at Hamilton, and then approached me while holding his hand out. His blue-eyed gaze was cold, unlike Maya's blue-eyed look which was friendly and innocent. I took his hand and he shook mine firmly.

"My name is actually Gill. Gill Hamilton. I see you've already met my Father and that bumbling fool over there."

"Gill! That's so totally rude!" Luke called out offensively.

"Is it not the truth?" Gill looked back with an arrogant yet confused look.

"No it's _not_!" Luke argued fiercely which caused Gill to crack his arrogant composure and break out in a huge grin to Luke. He held his abdomen and let out a short but loud laugh.

"I see. How rude of me." He said between laughs. Luke broke out in a blinding grin.

"Whatever." He said.

I don't know why but I just couldn't take my eyes off the two of them. A bond deeper than brotherhood I guessed. But Gill's arrogant air was dropped so suddenly it was almost unreal!

"Gill, you said you wanted to order something?" Hamilton asked his son.

"That's right."

"Oh, then I'll take i-"

"That's alright. I'm making a personal order with Yolanda." Gill cut Maya off. Maya wasn't surprised by this but she did look a little put-off. She slunk away to the back room where Gill and Yolanda we're discussing his lunch supposedly.

Gill, to me, seemed to be an arrogant heir to the mayor's chair, but he had a soft spot for the ever reckless Luke.

For some reason that intrigued me.

Just then, I noticed Luke and Hamilton giving me some looks and I turned to them.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, I guess you'll be seating me then Molly." Luke said, a little less zealous as he snapped me out of my analysis of Gill.

"_Oh_! Sure. Right this way, you two." I motioned to Hamilton and him.

"Oh, no. I just came to make sure these two didn't make a ruckus here. Have a good lunch." Hamilton said and skipped away merrily.

_"What a cheery man..."_ I thought as I took out my pad to take Luke's order.

He ordered a round of Veggie Curry and some Coconut Juice. I rung up his bill and put the ticket at Yolanda's station for when she came back. There weren't any other customers around so Luke insisted that I talked to him.

"So, Molly. You're 20?" He asked me.

"Yup! Can't wait to be 21! How old are you."

Luke smirked.

"I'm 22, older than you in other words."

"No fair! You get to drink..." I murmured. I hated that I could never drink at the Brass Bar and I heard from Owen that their cocktails are pretty damn tasty.

"I'll sneak you a few if you want." Luke said and gave me a wink.

Wait...

Gave me a wink?

I must have been seeing things.

"Right, sounds good..." I said, a little too awkwardly for my taste, so I smiled at him.

"So how's work been going?" I asked him.

"It's been going. Cutting down trees like the extreme outdoors man I am. Ya know."

"Pretty bitchin'." I laughed and he chuckled along with me. Working at a sleazy cafe in the past, you learn a couple things such as street terms. They grow on you.

We talked and laughed for a few more minutes, Gill and Maya still not back with Gill's order.

"Man, he's taking a long time." Luke said.

"Should I check on him?" I asked standing up. Luke grabbed my arm and pulled me back down, roughly, into my seat.

" Nah. His tie's probably on too tight again cuz Yolanda probably told him that she's not serving a certain dish today. I'll go check." He said nonchalantly. He stood up and pushed in his chair. Then he looked down and stared at me with a strange expression. I couldn't tell you if I knew, that's how strange it was. He then slowly leaned down and put his head so near to mine that I could feel his breath on my ear. I noticed that no one else happened to be in the room with us.

"See you around...Molly..." He whispered in a deep, husky breath that set me on edge. I didn't know what to think, it was like...he was flirting with me! I just sat stiffly in my chair as he stood back to his full height and smirked at me. I stared at him and I just couldn't place my finger on that look he was giving me.

"I just don't see why you can't make a simple Tomato Risotto dish right now." Gill's pompous voice rang throughout the Inn as he came from the back room. I turned to see Maya smirking triumphantly and Yolanda tapping her foot impatiently.

"I only make that in Summer. It's Spring at the moment. There are _no_ tomatoes right now." Yolanda argued back. Gill got an angry glint in his eyes and sighed resignedly.

"Alright." He made his way to the door as Luke shot him a smile. Gill just closed his eyes in frustration.

"Have a nice day!" I called out to Gill before he left with Luke. Luke and him looked back. Gill gave me a slight nod of his head in departure.

"You too." He called back in a calm voice, much different than his tone with Yolanda.

But Luke just looked...again, I don't know what that look was but it seemed almost identical to anger.

It certainly wasn't anger though, it just, kinda...I don't know _looked_ like anger!

_"I swear, guys are so confusing!"_ I shook my head in defeat as the duo left.

"What was that about?" Maya asked me.

"Ya know what..." I began, throwing my hands up in the air.

"I don't know!"

* * *

><p><em>Well well well, looks like this chapter has left you guys with a little story that needs to be filled lol. Lyrics used in flashback are <span>Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson.<span> For the song she sang in the Inn, I didn't put any lyrics cuz I didn't have a self-made song for her yet and I want the readers to suggest some songs too (though on major parts, songs shall be decided fully by the authors!)_

_This chapter was made by **LatteCurlz**!_

_Latte: Love you all! Read and review! Be ready for Midnight's chapter next!_

_Midnight: See you in chapter 2! ;P_


	2. Chapter 2: Oppurtunity SHE KNOCKS!

**Hey, hey, hey! It's me, MidnightxMusic! :D**

**You are gonna hate me for this chapter. It took forever to type(even though it's super short) and it probably goes by too quickly because I have nothing good to write in their conversations. DON'T HATE MEH! DX BOOHOOOOO!**

**Just ignore me while I hide in the corner, crying, while being pelted by Harvest Sprites. HELP ME, HARVEST GODDESS! YOUR SLAVE ARE BEING THROWN AT MEEEE!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: LatteCurlz and I do not, and most likely never will own Harvest Moon.**

* * *

><p>"So, why do you think he's doing those things?" Maya asked, clearing a table.<p>

I sighed. "I really don't know."

It wasn't a very busy day today, so Maya and I spent our time talking about Luke. These past few days, he's been acting pretty different. I noticed that whenever we talked, he would often stare at me or move closer. I mean, I'm sure he was just being friendly, but it was starting to make me feel uncomfortable. I couldn't just avoid Luke, so I tried to ignore the little gestures. It didn't help much.

"It's starting to make me feel awkward when I'm around him," I said.

"Well, it _is_ Luke. He's pretty weird," Maya replied.

I shrugged. "It still doesn't really explain why, though."

My friend pursed her lips in thought, then shrugged. "Whatever the reason, he's still weird." She then took the dirty dishes to the kitchen.

I started to hum a song that was in my head. I was then interrupted by the bell of the door ring and a customer's shoes clack on the ground.

"Welcome to the Ocarina Inn," I said, turning around. My eyes met blue, as I faced the one and only mayor's son.

"Hi there, Gill! Are you here to eat?" I asked.

"Well, why else would I be here?" he replied coldly.

"Um...nevermind, then." I showed him to a table and handed him a menu. He took it without even sparing a glance at me.

I stood there, tapping my pencil on the notepad, waiting for his request. It's not like I had other people to serve.

Gill cleared his throat and looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

"I'd like to order before next week, please," he said.

"Oh! Sorry. What would you like?"

"Since there are no tomatoes in the Spring, I guess I will have to settle for a vegetable sandwich."

I wrote it down. "Anything else?" I asked.

"That will do for now."

I gave the note to Yolanda, who quickly started preparing the food, and walked back to Gill and slid into the chair across from him. He looked up at me.

"So, Gill...what do you do in your free time?" I questioned.

"Why do you need to know?" he snapped back.

"I just want to find out more about you."

"Well, I am sure it's not part of your job to interrogate customers."

"What's so wrong about getting to know someone?"

"I never said anything was wrong about it. I'm just saying that you shouldn't do it while working."

"Fine then. I'll talk with you after my shift is over," I declared. "I'll make sure of it!"

"Please don't," he said, sighing.

"Why not? And are you _so_ socially awkward that you can't talk to a person without grimacing like you smelt something rotten?"

"I'll have you know that I am NOT socially awkward! You are being such a nuisance right now."

"But don't you want to talk about something? Weather, tomatoes, potatoes, unicorns, ham sandwiches? Anything! Anything at all?"

"If I were to discuss about such silly things, I would look for my disgrace of a father."

"You know, you should respect your elders."

Gill gave a simple nod, clearly not interested in what I'm saying. "Mhmm."

"Oh, come on-" I was cutoff by a chime and that familiar voice.

"Hey, Molly! What's goin' on?" Luke said, a huge grin spread on his face.

"Hi, Luke. Nothing interesting. Um...I'll go get Maya to serve you."

Maya walked out of the kitchen and I stood up. I was about to go talk to her, but Luke grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.

"Wait! I wanna take a walk with you."

"But I'm working, Luke. I don't get off until 9," I said, getting irritable.

Maya skipped over. "Oh, it's ok, Molly! I can work two shifts at once!" she proclaimed.

"Thanks a bunch, Maya," I replied, sarcastically.

"You're welcome!" She giggled and waved as I got dragged out the door.

Luke was still gripping onto my wrist, smiling.

"Uh, Luke? Where are we going?" I asked.

He turned around. "You'll see."

We walked past the Choral Clinic and Jin, who was giving us strange looks, strolled away from Sonata Tailoring and now stood in front of the Brass Bar's green doors.

I stared at the building, confused. "What are we doing here?"

"I said I was going to sneak you some drinks, right? Well, now's the time!" Luke exclaimed.

"But I'm underage! I can't go in there!" I protested.

"Who says you can't _go_ in there? You're just not allowed to drink! But I let you have a sip or two of mine," he replied with a mischievous wink.

I smacked my forehead with my free hand as he tugged me through the open doors. We were greeted by Kathy, who held a tray full of cocktails.

"Heya, guys! Welcome to the Brass Ba-" She stopped when she noticed me and raised an eyebrow.

"Molly? Whatcha doing here? Are you old enough to drink?" she asked.

"Uh...well, I'm only 20, but I didn't intend to-"

"Who cares, Kathy?" Luke interrupted. "It's not like she can't step foot into this building! You can trust her, right? It's good 'ol Molly!" He slapped the waitress on the back, making her stumble forward.

"I don't trust _you_, though," Kathy replied after regaining balance.

"Eh, I'm ok with that! No one trusts me!" He tugged me past her and towards Owen, and pushed me into a seat beside him.

"Hey, buddy! How's it going?" Owen greeted.

"Great, dude! You don't mind that I brought Molly here with me, do you?" Luke replied.

"Nah, of course not. The more the merrier!" They both chuckled, while I just sat there, awkwardly wedged between them.

When the lights dimmed, I focused my attention to the stage, where a spotlight shined on Selena, the exotic belly dancer. I watched her in awe as she started swaying her hips and making different movements with her arms and hands in the air as she stepped around gracefully yet exotic all the same. She made it look so easy, as if it was like breathing for her! Enchanting couldn't begin to describe it. I could tell by her face that she was very concentrated on the dance, making sure she made every move just right.

I looked over at Luke, who was staring intently at the dancer.

When the music ended, Selena took a deep bow and everyone applauded. She then strutted off the stage, then again I would too if I knew I was that good. As I watched her walk away, I took notice of a bright, colourful poster she passed.

"Excuse me for a second," I said, standing up. Luke gave me a look that said, "Oooookay?"

I ran up to it and read the white letters, my eyes widening with every word.

* * *

><p><em>'<strong>Interested in Performing Here? Then Come to Our Auditions!<strong>_

_We're looking for some new entertainment here at the Brass Bar! Think you got what it takes?_

_Any talents you got, we wanna see! Singing, dancing, building things out of popsicle sticks...You name it!_

__The auditions will be held Spring 23 at noon. __You must be 20-25 years old.__

**__We hope to see you there!__**

* * *

><p>I couldn't believe what I had just read. Next week, I'll finally have my big chance to sing for the island! Of course, I will have to make the auditions, but whatever!<p>

I ripped the flyer off of the wall it was posted on and skipped happily back to Luke, who was talking about Selena's performance with Owen.

"Wasn't that dance so awesome and extreme?" he exclaimed. "I mean, all the swinging of her arms and stuff. Only a pro can do that!"

Owen chuckled."Well, aren't you hyper up about belly dancing?"

Luke pumped his fist. "Yeah, man!"

I twirled dreamily over to the two. "Luke, pinch me to see if I'm dreaming or not!"

He turned around and cocked his head in confusion. "But if this is a dream, how am I in here?" He shrugged and reached out.

But he never got to do it, because I was already half-way out the door. I sprinted all the way back to the Inn and rushed to Maya.

"You will never guess what I saw at the Bar!" I yelled.

She turned around, being careful not to spill anything on her tray. "A poster on the wall that can help you fulfill your lifelong dream of singing?"

"...How did you know?"

"Lucky guess."

I held it up. "Exactly! You don't know how wonderful this is!" I spun around in circles, clutching the piece of paper to my chest. A sudden thought then came into my head and I stopped. "Actually, should I audition for it? Because...what if I mess up? I'll lose my chance and then, I'd have to move a-and leave this island and-"

"Molly!" Maya grabbed me by my shoulders after putting down the tray. "Are you crazy or something? You don't need to ask that question to know that I would answer, 'Yes!' in a heartbeat! If you don't go, you'll be missing out on a chance of a lifetime here. This is super important to you, so why would you even consider the thought of not going for it? I'll blackmail you if I have to, so go in there and show your stuff! I've seen you sing and you're really, really good at it. You won't mess up, I promise! AND IF I FIND OUT THAT YOU DIDN'T GO, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN, MISSY!" She shook me vigorously.

I laughed. "Okay! Okay...I'll go. I know how serious you get when you shake people like that. Maya, you're the greatest friend ever, you know that? Thanks. For everything." I hugged her close.

She smiled and hugged me back. "No worries. You're practically my sister! I couldn't let you miss out on your big dream just like that! You'll do fine."

I sure hope she's right...

* * *

><p><strong>Was that good? Terrible? I know. You guys are probably thinking, "She took forever just to write <em>THAT<em> short crap?" Yep.**

**I really have no excuse, though. "School is keeping me busy" doesn't cut it, either.**

**WHY AM I SO BAD AT MAKING THINGS LONGER(heh,that's what she said XD)?**

**Hopefully, the next chapter I type will be longer, better and quicker to finish. Though, I can't make any promises...**

**Whelp, toodles for now! The wonderful chapter after this one will be by LatteCurlz, so if you compare it when it's posted to this one, you'll see a big difference. XD**

**Bye!  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3: And It Begins!

**Hey! LatteCurlz here! Sorry it took so long for this update. I've been so super busy with everything going on as of late. But rest assured that I'm ready to get back up to speed on my updating game (whoopee)! First off, let's give MidnightxMusic a round of applause for her awesome chapter. This story is going to leave you speechless I hope you know!**

**MagicalSquaresOfDarkness: Very creepy Luke...This is a little delayed but...how did you get a bone stuck in your braces and your earring stuck on a pillow? On second thought, I don't think you have to tell us XDD. Thanks for the funny review!**

**Well, I've talked too much soooo...**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately...neither of us who are writing this story own Harvest Moon. We only wish we did TT~TT.**

* * *

><p><strong>,',','. Molly's POV .',',',<strong>

"Doooo...Reeeee...Miiiiii...Faaaa...I'm quite tired of this solfaying I've forgot all I've been saying. Dooooo." I sang nervously in front of my mirror. Tonight was the night before the auditions. I was so excited that I didn't even pay attention to Gill or Luke when they came into the store as of late.

_But who cares!_

I was about to audition for something that might change my life...FOREVER!

*Knock knock knock*

"Maya entered the room without being given an answer. I was so used to it that it didn't matter anyway.

"Hey, I brought you some lukewarm water. I did some research that said cold water was bad for the voice."

I took it and drank some. It was pretty good for being lukewarm.

"Awwww, thanks love. You're so good to me!" I said and we exchanged giggles.

"Yeah, well when you get the job-"

"_IF_ I get the job Maya." I corrected her and she blinked.

"Whenyou get the job, just remember the little people over here." Maya said with a smile.

"Oh shut up! I won't ever forget you! You're right up the staircase so it's not like we're not going to see each other ever again!" I relayed to her.

"I know. I'm just so jealous! I can't believe you get to work there!" Maya said and pouted.

"But I thought you liked working at the Inn."

"That's not the point..." She muttered and I smirked.

"Ooooh. Maybe it has to do with a certain chef? Hmmmmm?"

"On second thought, forget about us. Go over there and never mention my name." Maya said and I gasped and tackled her.

"You're soooo meeeeeeeeeeean!" I whined and we fell into a giggle fit.

"Molly." Maya said.

"What?"

"Kick ass tomorrow." Maya said bluntly and I laughed. Listening to her sweet voice say that word was way too funny.

"Don't laugh at my lack of ability to curse!" She shouted.

"Whatever...I'm just worried about the song I want to sing." I said.

"Hmm...well if they let you do whatever, then pick the song that shows your voice off a lot or something. If they want a theme then go over some regular themes or more obvious themes in your head and pick songs out for them that you can do very well or learn within tonight."

I blinked at Maya.

"Wow Maya...that was actually smart!" I shouted which caused me to get a face full of pillow.

The rest of the night we goofed off which helped me shake off some of my audition nerves.

***The Next Day***

"I didn't think it was going to be this big..." Maya murmured as we approached the Brass Bar. Turns out, the poster for auditions was posted in multiple places on the mainland too. Many people came to audition and show their talents off.

"There's so much competition...I don't know if I can-"

"Molly! Pull yourself together woman! You're going to blow all these wannabes out the water and lie them on the deck to flop around like suffocating fishes for Toby and Ozzie to come pick up and sell at the Fishery!"

"That was a little too much of a hyperbole, but I liked it." I told her and Maya rolled her eyes before pushing me inside of the Brass Bar where many others were waiting for their turns to perform.

We watched many...interesting performances. One guy in particular hopped around the stage while performing polka-style music with baggy shorts that allowed his...*ahem* some freedom with the process. Chase looked away with disgust and many of the women (including Maya) gagged and or threw-up. (Maya threw up). The guy was escorted out of the building by Hayden.

"That...was just disgusting...next." Kathy called.

"I heard Selena is a really critical judge from one of the people who made it through Kathy. They didn't make it through Selena."

"Selena? You mean that magnificent dancer! I saw her the other day! She was so...in sync with her whole body. It was...enchanting." I said in awe and Maya gave me a strange look.

"Molly...is there something you want to let me know?"

I nudged my friend before sticking my chest out wide. My eyes landed on Kathy who had told me the other day about not drinking.

"I've been wondering...how old are Kathy and Selena anyways? Selena has got to be at least 23. She seems so mature. But Kathy seems about our age."

Maya looked at me.

"They're both 21!" She said.

"What! Only one year age difference!" I was shocked and Maya laughed at me.

I looked at the girl going up. Only one more performance and it would be _my_ turn!

"I'm shivering with all sorts of emotions right now." I told Maya...or so I thought. I looked over and saw her staring at Chase who didn't seem to notice the young girl's affection. We're not even old enough to drink..._yet..._ and he _works_ in a bar. He's probably about Luke's age so I don't think it's too bad of an age difference.

"**THAT'S IT!**"

Everyone jumped at the sound of a livid voice. Out stomped Selena (in black skinny jeans and a short-sleeved, green, raglan shirt) after the girl that had just been up there left the back room crying.

"I am _appalled_ with the performances I've seen already. Now, I might not have that much knowing on the subject of other talents beside dancing...but I know enough that a lot of what I've seen isn't meeting this bar's potential."

"Now, Selena-"

"No, Kathy! You know better than I do that we can't _just settle_ for what we can get. We have a sexy waitress, a sarcastic yet hot chef, a really awesome host, and a voluptuous dancer! We need to have someone that complements the team!"

"We need another act to spice things up!" Kathy argued back to her co-worker. Chase winced as he readied for the cat-fight.

"Uh-no!"

"Uh-_yes_"

"No."

"Yes."

"NO!"

"YES!"

"Hayden!"

"Daddy!"

The two turned to Hayden who sighed.

"I'm sorry. But there will be no more auditions from anyone as our team is-"

"What! No no no! Molly has been waiting for forever!" Maya shouted.

"I'm sorry, Maya. But this is complicated business." Hayden said.

"No, please! Hear me out this is all I've been wanting to do and I really need this chance I-"

"We're _sorry_! But _no more_ auditions will be held-" As Hayden continued to explain the situation to the other talents that were packing up and leaving I turned to Maya with fearful eyes. She looked back into mine and said one word that made my mind up for me.

"Sing!" She said, urging me up on a table.

I didn't know what I was doing, what I was going to sing, why I was on a table about to do it...but when my mind suddenly raced of thoughts of my life...what I remember and what was happening now. And then.

My mind blanked, and my mouth started to move:

_Listen_

_To the sound here in my heart_

_A melody I start but can't complete._

_Listen_

_To the sound from deep within_

_It's only beginning to find release_

_Ohh_

_The time has come for my dreams to be heard_

_They will not be pushed aside and turned_

_Into your own_

_All cause you won't _

_Listen_

_Listen!_

_I am alone at a crossroads_

_I'm not at home in my own home_

_And I've tried and tried_

_To say what's on my mind_

_You should have known_

_Oh_

_Now I'm done believing you!_

_You don't know what I'm feeling_

_I'm more than what you made of me_

_I followed the voice you gave me_

_But now I gotta find my own..._

_You should have listened_

_There is someone here inside_

_Someone I thought had died so long ago_

_Oh I'm screaming out and my dreams will be heard_

_They will not be pushed aside or turned_

_Into your own_

_All cause you won't listen_

_Listen_

_I am alone at a crossroads_

_I'm not a home in my own home_

_And I've tried and tried_

_To say what's on my mind_

_You should have known _

_Oh_

_And now I'm done believing you!_

_You don't know what I'm feeling_

_I'm more than what you've made of me_

_I followed the voice you gave to me!_

_But now I've gotta find my own!_

_I don't know where I belong_

_But I'll be moving on_

_If you don't..._

_If you won't..._

_Listen_

_To the song here in my heart!_

_A melody I start_

_But I will complete!_

_Oh!_

_Now I'm done believing you_

_You don't know what I'm feeling_

_I'm more than what_

_You made of me_

_I followed the voice you **think** you gave to me_

_But now I've gotta find my own!_

_My own..._

I felt my breath leave me as I suddenly realized what I had done. I didn't only sing...I just blew it out! They could probably hear me all the way to the beach!

I didn't hear anything and I thought for sure that I must've messed up. I must have done something wrong to make everyone leave. I didn't even here Maya!

I sighed and opened my eyes sadly to see about a dozen or so people, not all of the talent there before but a few of them, staring at me with surprise. Some with grins and some with awestruck faces. I looked down at where Maya was right in front of me and saw her smirking.

"_Yes_!" She mouthed and made a little fist-pump movement. I looked around again and could easily identify a few of the villagers beside the bar workers. Two of which were Gill and Luke who looked like they were stopped in their tracks as soon as they entered the bar. Then I turned to face Selena and Kathy. Kathy had a sly smirk on her face that was aimed toward Selena while the latter had a hand on her hip with a inquisitive look.

"What were you saying about "_settling_" Selena?" Kathy asked.

"Yeah Selena...care to let us know?" Chase also said and Maya glanced at me with a giddy look.

Selena gave them both glares that slowly melted into a smirk.

"Okay. You two got me. Don't start with that sarcasm. The girl's good." Selena said and my eye lit up, I could tell.

"But don't get cocky...and get off the table. We've got customers you know." Selena said. I hopped off the table and gave Maya a swift "happy dance" hug.

"She's a bit innocent..." Hayden said from behind the bar.

"You never know." Kathy commented and sent me a little wink.

"Go pack your stuff and come back when you're done. You just landed an all expense paid stay at the Brass Bar Ms. Molly." Kathy said.

"No need! I've all ready got everything set for her! I'll be back with your stuff!" Maya said excitedly before running off. I turned back to my new co-workers (minus Hayden) who all had their eyebrows raised at me.

"Heh heh?" I nervously chuckled.

"You automatically _assumed_ you would get the spot?" Selena inquired.

"Well I-"

"She's confident. I like-NO! I _love_ it!" Kathy said with a wide grin.

"She's got guts."

Chase sighed and rolled his shoulders.

"Just as long you stay outta mine and the "Southern Tiger's" ways, we'll be fine." He said, gesturing toward Selena who gave a simple "hmph" before he walked to the kitchen.

"Hey look, Chase and I agreed on something." She said and sauntered to the back, probably to get ready for customers.

"Was it something I said?" I asked. Kathy shrugged with a chuckle.

"Sorry. We're a tough group. I like your confidence, and don't take this as me trying to be an elder to you since there is _only_ a one year difference...but you've really gotta do more that convince of you're _just_ "good enough". " Before she walked off she held up a finger to stop herself.

"Oh, and you don't start tonight. You start 2 nights from now. Until then do whatever you want. Just be sure to bring your best when you're up." She said and turned to leave.

I watched Kathy walk away and felt this feeling in my stomach.

It wasn't regret...

It was opportunity.

"It's not like this is the first time I've needed to prove myself..." I muttered, determined.

"Wow, wow, _wow_!" I heard come from behind me and I jumped toward the voice.

"That was _extreme_! Where did you learn to sing like _that_?" Luke said with a wide grin.

"Oh, you just seem to...pick things up when you've got a life like mine." I said with a shy smile.

"Really? And what kind of life is that?" Gill popped up beside Luke.

That question didn't make me smile so much.

"A different one." I answered just before Maya rushed back in.

"I can't believe it! You're so lucky Molly!" She said gleefully and thrust the bags in my hands.

"Just throw these in your room and come with me to Renee's." She said with a wink. I nodded and went to ask Hayden where I would be sleeping.

"You'll be in the same room as Kathy and Selena. They have something set up for if the new person was a boy too but they set their room up, just in case. It's the second door in the backroom.

I nodded and headed to the back. I opened the second door and found Selena looking at herself in the mirror. She automatically pointed to a twin bed in the far corner. It had plain green sheets on it and the wall was bare. There was a white dresser as well.

"Don't care how you decorate it, just make sure it's nothing disturbing." She said. I nodded happily and placed my stuff on the bed. I would unpack it later. I walked out without a word to Selena and back to the front where I saw Maya giving a nervous smile to the three older men (Owen, Gill, and Luke) who were looking at her as if she just committed a crime.

"What's going on here?"

"They keep asking me questions on where we're going and I have no idea why." She said a little timidly.

"Really? Did you tell them?"

"Yeah...but they don't believe me." She said.

"Oh. Too bad. Let's go." I said and grabbed Maya's hand to set off.

Before one of the guys could give a comment I turned back and gave them a smile.

"Sorry boys. But we've gotta jet. Catch ya' later." And then I rushed out the door with Maya.

When we got to the farmland area I looked at her.

"Why did they suddenly just gang up on you like that?"

"Because, the key to the forest door went missing apparently and for some reason they think I've got!" Maya said.

"Well, that's just ridiculous!" I exclaimed.

"I know! _Renee_ is the one that has it!" Maya said and sent me a grin.

"Oh, no. Maya what in the world do you have planned!" I exclaimed.

"Nothing...yet..."

"Mayaaa!"

"Don't worry, we aren't doing anything any time soon. This is just to ensure an "_all access_" pass to the island when we want it. I know I seem like a sweet girl, but I get into all sorts of mess!"

"You don't say?" I said and raised an eyebrow at her which earned me a playful nudge.

As we made our way to Renee's, we found the girl all ready waiting for our arrival.

"Hey there you two!" She called happily and Maya waved back.

"A fellow 20 year old! We're saved!" Maya said giggling and Renee rolled her eyes before smiling at me.

"Hey. We've met before I'm sure. Molly, right?"

"That's my name and I'm sticking to it." I said and she gave a wide grin.

"I'm Renee if you forgot. Maya told me we were celebrating your new job as an entertainer for the bar. Congratulations by the way!"

"Thanks! I hope this will take me places...wonderful, wonderful places."

We all laughed as we went inside of Renee's house and headed to her room after saying hello to her parents: Hanna and Cain.

As we sat down and just chilled I suddenly brought up one subject.

"Hey, Renee. How'd you get the forest key anyway?" I asked.

"I stole it from Luke while he was sleeping." She giggled.

Typical, non-responsible, Luke.

Oh, well. His loss and our wonderful gain!

* * *

><p><strong>End chapter! SOOOOO long to write. It's harder when you have to make sure not to reveal too much but still reveal just enough! This story has barely started XD.<strong>

**The song Molly sang for her wonderful, spontaneous audition was: Listen By: Beyonce.**

**~LatteCurlz, passing the baton to MidnightXMusic! Happy writing!**

**Review as always!**


	4. Chapter 4: Fugue Forest Hates Me

**We do not own Harvest Moon. If we did, we wouldn't be writing a fanfiction about it. xD**

* * *

><p>"So the both of you already went into the forest?" I curiously asked the duo.<p>

They nodded vigorously as I sat on the wooden floors of Renee's bedroom, ready to listen to her and Maya tell me their story about what they did in the forest.

"Well, after we walked into the forest, we followed the trail and kept walking and walking," Renee explained.

"It felt like forever! Every part looked the same!" Maya exclaimed.

"We came to this huuuge clearing and we walked to the next section."

"Yeah, then we heard something rustling in the bushes. Some crazy people would have stayed to see what it was, but I just ran away while screaming my head off!"

Renee scratched the back of her head. "I was too scared to run, fear tends to do that to me. Maya had to drag me out..."

"So, what do you guys think it was, the thing that was in the bushes?" I asked, curiously. I thought about the possibilities in my head: an animal, the wind, some crazy mass murderer with a chainsaw-

"Hmm, I don't know. It could have just been an animal or something." Renee said, putting a finger to her chin in thought.

"Or it could've been the Witch!" Maya exclaimed, bouncing excitedly in her seat.

"Of course it's not the Witch, Maya." Renee frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "That's just impossible."

"What? What are you guys talking about?" I looked between the two girls. They shared glances.

Renee bit her lip. "Well, the reason we wanted to go into the forest is...Maya heard someone talking, at the Inn, about some woman living deep inside the forest. A witch. She ran over here, bursting through the barn doors yelling about it, which startled our poor cow, Winnie, might I add." She gave the girl beside her a pointed look and continued. "I didn't believe her and we started to argue about who was right. So, we got the key to prove it."

"Do you think there's really a witch living in there, Molly?" Maya asked me, her eyes gleaming with hope.

I pondered about it. "Er, that story is a bit absurd-" Renee beamed boastfully in Maya's direction, "-but this island _is_ pretty strange. It could go either way, so I guess I'm neutral for the time being," I finished, shrugging.

My best friend pouted and played with her puffy pink dress. "Renee and I were planning to go again tonight! Do you wanna come with us?" she asked.

"Of course I want to come! I'm always up for a little adventure." I grinned. "I have to go back to the Bar to unpack some more things though, okay? I'll meet you guys outside the forest. What time should we go there?"

Renee cocked her head. "I was thinking around 11:00 pm tomorrow. How's that?"

I nodded, satisfied.

"Sounds like a plan!" Maya squealed excitedly.

I waved good-bye to both of my friends and skipped outside and back to the bar.

* * *

><p>Alright, well, apparently Selena had lied about not caring how I decorate my part of the room. The minute I put up a simple <em>calendar, <em>she told me to take it off.

"You were the one who said I could put whatever I want here," I protested.

"I said 'as long as it's nothing disturbing'." She narrowed her eyes at me.

"And what, may I ask, is so horrific about a calendar?"

"First of all, it's purple, which looks terrible with the green bed sheets. Second of all, it's so plain. All it has is music notes and swirls...and stuff all over it," the dancer said, moving her arms wildly to help describe her distaste.

_'Whatever. It's not like she has to look at it anyways. I'm putting it up for me, not her,' _I thought as I jumped off my bed and walked out the bedroom door.

"Hey! Don't ignore me when I'm just trying to help you with your terrible taste in decor!" I heard Selena yell. "It affects me too, you know!"

I saw Chase sitting in front of the counter, resting his chin on his elbow and looking bored. I decided to talk with him.

"Hey, Chase," I greeted with a smile.

No verbal response, but I received a small glare.

"Uh...what's up? I thought the bar opens at 6. Why are you here so early?"

He slowly turned his head back towards me. "Well, I don't know. But I know it's none of your business; so I suggest you quit bugging me and leave."

Well, that was like a slap in the face: unexpected and hurtful. I knew Chase could be a bit rude. This time, he wasn't more or less the same, but all I did was ask a simple question and he flips out! I was trying to be nice, since he seemed like the non-sociable type. That boy must not have been hugged a bunch in his childhood.

"Okay, well, I'm sorry I asked..." I muttered, then got up and stepped outside. I made sure to slam the doors loudly behind me.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The sun was blazing, the sky was bright blue, fluffy white clouds floated by, and there was a cool breeze. But no one seemed to be outside, well, other than Pascal and Toby that is. I strode over to them and waved at Pascal before sitting on the dock next to the fisherman's son, removing my boots.

"Hiya, Toby! Whatcha doing here?" I asked.

He looked at me and grinned. "Hey, I was just doing some fishing by myself...you know, I'm actually surprised you came over here. Lots of people think I'm weird and obsessed with fish; some even think I _am_ a fish! They'd usually leave me alone and gossip about me behind my back." The fisherman gave a dismissive shrug of his shoulders.

"Aw, Toby. You're not weird, you are a totally chill guy who's fun to hang with! And it's perfectly fine to have something you love to do. I bet those people have hobbies, too." I patted his back gently.

"Heh, thanks. I'm glad someone doesn't think of me like that..."

There was a moment of silence between us. I was debating to myself whether or not to ask a question that's been pulling at me the moment I walked out of the bar. Should I? I mean, I shouldn't bother Toby with my own problems, but on the other hand...

"Hey, do you have any idea why Chase won't talk to me?" I blurted out before I could make up my mind.

Toby looked surprised by my sudden question ('cause I swear I saw a glimpse of his eyes).

"Oh, Chase? He doesn't want to talk to you, eh? He's doing it again..." he muttered.

I must've looked confused, because Toby smiled and shook his head, as if he were talking about a silly child. He pulled his fishing rod out of the water and set it beside him.

"Chase had a rocky childhood: divorced parents, older sister passed away, dad's dating another woman and Chase doesn't like that. And ever since, he's been pushing people away so they couldn't hurt him. Well...little does he know, he's just hurting _himself_ by being lonely all the time and having no friend to talk to about his problems," he continued.

"So, how do you know all of this?' I asked curiously. "You said he pushed people away. He certainly wouldn't tell this to some stranger."

"I used to talk to him once in a while, when he moved here with his uncle. He told me all about his past since he had no one else to talk to, then as we got older we just sorta drifted apart. I think he was afraid I'd betray him one day too. He started avoiding me from then on. We could've been friends if he hadn't done something so stupid like that..." Toby laughed bitterly, which was odd coming from someone like him. "Seems like it's the start of the cycle again."

More silence fell. I kicked the water with my bare feet while I processed the thought into my brain. I felt sorry for Chase, knowing that he most likely would've been less austere and had more friends, had he not been raised badly. It wasn't like he was a bad person, it was just the cold exterior hiding his scared self.

"Why did you ask?" Toby questioned, suddenly.

"What? ...Oh. Well, all I did was ask him why he was at the bar so early for, and he told me to stay out of his way. I was just wondering if he does that all the time and why he does. I felt quite nervous there, actually."

"I really wish he would stop scaring innocent girls. Our island's population is small as it is." He and I laughed.

We moved away from depressing discussions Then when I checked the time, it was already 5:00.

I got up and slipped my boots on. "Well, it was nice talking to you," I said with a smile. "We should talk more often!"

Toby returned the grin. "Yeah..we should. See you later, then."

We waved before I turned and walked away, feeling happier that I made a new friend today.

After I left Toby, I talked to Maya on what she was going to bring to the forest that night: flashlights (obviously), first-aid kit for safety, water, and other things. Who knows how long we were going to be in there for!

Now, it was 11. I trekked to Flute Fields and over to Fugue Forest, where my friends were already waiting for me. Maya had a small brown backpack slung over her shoulders.

"Alright, you guys. Even though we're not too close to any buildings, we still have to be quiet just in case someone's wandering around," Renee whispered, and we nodded. "Okay, Maya, unlock the gate."

Maya dug around in the pocket of her thick pink sweater and pulled out a rusty key. She carefully stuck it in the lock and turned it, then took the key back out. Just as I was about to push the gate open, there were voices closing in on us.

"- taken the key from you, you irresponsible dunce!" Gill's angry voice said.

"Hide, you guys!" Maya hissed. We tried to dart behind trees, but they were way too skinny to hide us. My heart was pounding as we cut through the bushes and ran out the area and around the forest entrance. As we left, I heard Luke say, "Hey, why's the gate unlocked! Someone must've been here already!"

That's when I knew that we were going to be in biiiig trouble. _Damn it, Luke. You pick right now to get logical?_

"You guys, we have to split up. If we flee in a group, they'll be sure to find us," I said, using my brain quickly. "Renee, you should probably go home since it's close and they won't suspect you. Maya, you hide over at Marimba Farm, near that Yellow Bell."

"Got it." Maya said with a nod and sprinted in her given direction.

"Be careful." Renee said before high-tailing it back to her house.

I went straight, jumping over the fence that lead to a hill. Unfortunately for me, I tripped on a rock and came rolling back down the hill and hit my head on the wooden sign. The blurry words of "Moon Hill" seemed to be mocking me.

I groaned in pain and squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them, I was looking up at a furious Gill. His face was as red as a tomato. I guess you really are what you eat...  
>My eyes widened as I stood up. I argued to myself whether if it was a smart thing to run away or not. I ran anyways, not giving Gill any time to ask me questions or yell at me.<p>

I went as fast as my legs could take me to Harmonica Town. My legs were getting tired and my throat hurt from trying to breathe as I ran. When the Bar was in sight, I pushed myself further until I burst through the big, green doors. I slammed and locked the door, then collapsed on the floor right when I got into the shared bedroom.

I knew Gill had followed me. He wasn't going to give up, especially since it seemed so suspicious of me to be at the opposite part of the island than where I resided at 11 pm. I knew he suspected me of taking the key. But_ I_ didn't take the key; it was Maya. Though I surely wasn't going to rat out my friend when Gill interrogates me (which he will do eventually, I was sure of it; it's such a Gill-thing to do).

Someone knocked on the door.

_Oh snap... _"W-who is it?" I stuttered nervously.

"Hey, _you,_" Selena snapped through the door. _Oh, thank Goddess it's not- _"You have a visitor here; that nerdy Mayor's son." _On second thought, screw her._

"Ahem...I hope you realize that I am standing right next to you," Gill cut in, annoyed (either at me or Selena...or both).

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Don't get your fancy pants in a bunch." I heard Selena walk away.

"Look, you can't hide from me forever. You know I'm going to ask you questions eventually, so just make this easier for both of us and open the door," Gill said.

I sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right...but NO!"

He kicked on the wooden door. "Come on!"_ BAM! "_Open the damn door, Molly!"

_"NEVER!"_

I heard him sigh on the other side. "Alright, how about this: if you let me in and answer all my questions, I will tell you my real name...which is really not Gill. Okay? _Only _if you cooperate with me here," he negotiated._ Tempting...I'd have some blackmail material that I could post all over the town...and I could always lie through my teeth..._

I hesitantly pulled the door open and found myself looking at a red-faced Gill. He had a hand on his chest, panting and gasping for air as if it took all he had just to carry a conversation.

"You're not very fit, are you?" I jokingly asked, in an attempt to lighten up the mood. He gave a very intense glare in my direction, making me wince. _Well, _that_ didn't work..._

Gill straightened up and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. I noticed that his face was still red from chasing me down, when he turned to look (glare) at me. "Well, first things first. What were you doing up at Moon Hill at this late hour?"

"...I think the question can apply to you, too, Mr. Gill Hamilton," I replied with a smirk, trying to buy myself more time to come up with something. I'm not going to get Renee and Maya in trouble."What were _you _doing at Moon Hill?"

"Why I was there is irrelevant to this interrogation." Gill rubbed his temples. "Answer the question, Molly. You're not in trouble...yet. I just need _something _to help me find the Fugue Forest key."

I let out a fake sigh. "Well, if you must know...I was...uh...doing my midnight jogging."

The mayor's son raised an eyebrow. "'Midnight jog'? Now, why would a person want to run at _midnight, _when it's dark, cold, and dangerous?"

"Y'see, it helps relax me. Especially since it's Summer and it's too hot inside, so I go out and run around the island for a bit." Man, my lie was lame...but it was better than nothing!

Gill just stood there, staring at me as if I had grown another head. It was silent for a while, other than the pulsing beat from the music in the bar and the sounds of our breathing. I swear, if Gill had not been standing in front of the door, I would've run away and taken a boat to Mineral Town or something. This situation is just going downhill for me...

"What do you take me for, an idiot?" Gill asked, crossing his arms. "Okay, what were you really doing in Flute Fields?"

'_What do I say?_' I thought to myself. '_Should I tell him the truth? No...that would be bad. Lie again? He'd just figure it out and probably yell at me...how about...in between? That's it! It's the only thing I can do.'_

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll tell you the truth," I said. "I...I stole the key. I did it."

The blond didn't seem surprised at all, which either meant that was what he suspected all along, or he knew I was kinda lying again. Hey, it wasn't a total lie; I did have something to do with the key, after all.

"And tell me what you were planning to do with it."

"I thought that the forest would give me some inspiration, ya know, for a song," I answered. '_Going good so far.._.'

Gill shook his head. "And why didn't you just ask Luke for the key instead of stealing it from him? Honestly, the people on this island make the worst decisions..." He trailed off.

"Um...Luke was acting really strange lately-" Gill snorted and muttered, "'Lately...'" under his breath, "-so I didn't want to ask him about anything, to avoid weird situations." Well, that was kind of true...ah, my brain is so great at coming up with excuses, though.

"I see..." was all the male said, before closing his eyes to think about what he had just heard.

"I will accept any punishment you'll give me. You can even send me off the island or something if you want!" I offered.

This made Gill's eyes snap open. "So, you think I'm stupid _and _unreasonable, do you?" he stated with a smirk. "I'm not going to kick you off of Castanet just because you stole a key. In fact, it's not even my job. _I'm_ not the mayor..." He must've been very bitter about not being mayor, because he spat that sentence out like it was gum under a school desk (yum).

I sighed in relief. "Okay, so what _do _I have to do as a punishment?" I asked. I just hoped it wasn't anything too horrible...

"Well...the town hall's files are always a mess. I want you to go at 6:00 PM on Monday to sort everything out," he said.

"Okay! Sounds easy enou-...wait! Monday! That's...that's two days from now. At 6:00? I start work at the Bar on Monday at 6:00!" I exclaimed, clutching my head. "No no no, I can't miss out on my first day of work! Can't you just change the time or date?"

He shook his head. "Tomorrow can't do because it's Sunday. Then on Saturday and Monday morning and afternoon, Luke and Bo are coming in to renovate the Town Hall. Monday evening is all that's left."

My jaw dropped. It's like he planned all of this to torture me... "But, but...can't I do it on a day_ other _than this Monday? I can do it later in the week! I promise!"

"Sorry, we're busy all the other days. Really, the only reason why we're free on Monday evening is because we'll be renovated and needing to sort everything out," Gill explained. His eyes looked sincere when he apologized, and I realized that it'd also be impossible for him to plan this.

I slouched my shoulders and looked at the ground. How was I supposed to explain this to Kathy and Selena? Maybe Kathy'd understand somewhat, but Selena would just look down on me even more than she does already. I can just hear her voice now...

_'See, Kathy? I knew she wasn't cut out to work here! She can't even make it to her first day of work!' Selena would say._

If I got fired without even a day of singing there...my dream...it'd be over just like that. This was all a mess, one that I couldn't clean up with a broom and a dustpan.

I looked back up at Gill. "Okay...I'll see what I can do. Thanks, I guess..."

"You could talk to Kathy about this. Maybe she'll let you get off for that day," He suggested with a nod, before turning around and exiting the room.

I sank down into my new bed, covering my face with my hands.

Man, this was just not my day, was it?

* * *

><p><strong>OKAY! I would just like to say, to LatteCurlz and all the readers, that I am terribly, terribly sorry, and that I have no excuse whatsoever for the long wait. I can't stop feeling guilty about it. D: Please, I don't expect your forgiveness, but I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so soso so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so soso so so so so so so so so so sorry! ;A;<strong>

**... *sniff***

**But fear not! Latte will be writing the next 5 chapters, so you won't have to worry about long waits and my crappy writing. xD**

**Enjoy (if you can... e_e)!**

**Peace! ~Middy**


	5. Chapter 5: Innocent? Pfft Okay

**This took so long to update that even _I'm _fed up with myself! I'm terribly sorry for the wait...but if you haven't noticed it yet, I have a picture for this story (I drew it in my spare time a while back...so it's not a good as my recent work but...eh, I think it looked really cool. Just to say, that little box with Molly's face in it is supposed to be a music box with a little singing girl in the middle...I know it doesn't look it, don't remind me).**

**Anyway, Thanks for Reviewing you lovely, patient, lovable readers you!:**

**Fanfiction Ninja: SOOOO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! I'm a horrible author, I've been so busy WAAAH! Anyway, I've yet to check out your songfic but I've never really seen it on the story page so I guess you update it when I'm not looking? I'll definitely go check it out, it sounds cool! Thanks for the review, and I hope you're still reading lol.**

**Wolfy (Cute nickname :D): I'm using your nickname because I feel it's so cute and must be used, so there! Anyway, sorry forthe really long wait. There's a lot to this story that me and Midnight had discussed, so I'm really excited to add it to my update list. I'm hoping I'll have time to do this story and DB and AYCD... AND DFL! ANNNND My original novel...oh Goddess help me xD. Anyway, thanks for the review and I hope you're still reading ^_^!**

**Gabby (AKA: Guest xD): OH DEAR GOD! You've killed ALL my characters and then some...QAQ. Truly a sad day...I must weep. Lol, I'm sure you've already worked your way to my original characters by now (Poor little Maylune must be hanging on a rope for dear life...I'LL SAVE YOU!). I'm so sorry for the long wait and I hope your hands aren't too stained with blood xD. Please enjoy this chapter if you're still reading, which I hope you are :).**

**FINALLY let's get this show on the road people!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>I woke up super early the next morning. After Gill had left, all I did was sit in my bed and hug my knees until I fell asleep in a cramped position. I think it was the nerves...it probably freaked Selena out, seeing me in the fetal position.<p>

I was going through my head about what to say to Kathy when she woke up...but so far I wasn't doing so well. All the sentences either started with "You, see" or "What had happened was" and no-one ever listens to those sentences.

"What am I going to do..." I groaned groggily as I got up to get dressed.

"About what?" The much too clear and awake voice of Selena startled me.

"Uh...you see...what had happened was-"

"That's never a good sign..." She sighed in an irritated way as she slowly turned back to the mirror she was staring into.

Great, I started the sentence with _both_ bad news phrases...pathetic.

I looked over to the other side of the room and saw Kathy's blonde locks spilling over the covers in a heap of waves. She was snoring in that soft kind of way where you could hear it but not really mind it.

"Soooo?" Selena drawled, waving her comb in a forward motion.

Oh. She wanted me to tell her?

. . .

Okay, talking to my co-worker who freaked out over a _calendar_ was probably not a very smart idea.

"Nothing...I'll figure it out on my own." I mumbled and threw myself back onto my pillow with a huff.

"What? You don't wanna tell me?" Selena asked and I could practically hear the sneer in her voice.

I sat up on my elbows, staring blankly at her face.

"Are you a reasonable person?" I asked.

She crossed her arms and stuck her nose to the air.

"I'm the most reasonable person I know." She declared.

I rose an eyebrow at her words.

"My calendar." I simply stated.

"Are you still upset about that? In all fairness _you_ were the unreasonable one. Thinking of putting that Goddess-awful thing-"

"_Thank-you...Selena_." I said and flopped back down on the bed before pulling the covers over my head. It was best to enjoy my last time sleeping in this bed now, seeing as how I'll get fired for not showing up tonight.

Dainty yet angry footsteps made their way over to my bed, and the person that they belonged to practically ripped the covers off.

"How _rude_ can you possibly be? Here I was practically _giving_ you my ears and you have the nerve to interrupt me _and_ ignore me?"

Selena's eyes were in slits, her face contorted to a menacing snarl with fangs that looked like they could bite through thick meat.

"The Southern Tiger..." I breathed in a mix of awe and fear.

"_EXCUSE ME_?" She shouted and I cringed.

"Don't eat me..." I whimpered into my pillow.

She threw the covers back over me with a scoff.

"Whatever. Look I don't know _what_ exactly the matter is, but Kathy and Hayden are both understanding people." Selena said as I heard her make her way back to the vanity.

"That's what I'm hoping." I sighed and sat up.

"Trust me. When they first let me come here, I had a few troubles that we had to get past...don't try to put me in a group with you because of that though. But, it can't be as bad as me."

I swung my legs over my bed, feeling relieved that she said that, and I went to my dresser to pull out my clothes.

"As long as it isn't something too bad like being convicted of a crime or missing your first day of work, especially after what _you_ pulled off, then you're fine." She said and I froze in mid-step.

She noticed the distressed look on my face and whipped her head around to face me.

"What's with that look?" She asked suspiciously.

I didn't answer, instead giving a smile and rushing to the shower.

"Hey!" She called after me, though I didn't bother to listen.

I was _S-C-R-E-W-E-D! _

**_X_**

**_X_**

**_X_**

"So how'd everything go?" Maya asked as I she finally made her way over to my table. After my shower, the first thing I did was head over to the Inn to drown my sorrows in pancakes and syrup.

"I have to go file papers in the Town Hall." I muttered miserably.

"Well, that's not so bad. I feel bad for having you take the blame though." She said with a frown as she scribbled down my order.

I looked at her solemnly as she wrote.

"So, when should Renee and I be at the bar for your show?" She beamed as she looked up from her notepad; her smile quickly faded as she saw my face.

"Uh-oh. Filing papers isn't the problem, is it?" She said and took a seat.

I banged my head on the table.

"Maya, I'm gonna lose my job..." I said quietly.

My friend's eyes widened.

"_What!_" She whispered.

"The time that I have to go file the papers is the time that I have to be on stage tomorrow!"

Just then, the door to the Inn opened and in walked Luke who was talking idly with a paranoid looking Renee.

"-Who would've guessed she stole the key and I had no idea about it! Crazy, right?" Luke seemed to finish his part of the conversation that Renee didn't look to pleased to be apart of.

"Eheheheh...right, crazy." She mumbled before looking in my and Maya's direction. Upon seeing my trouble look, she hurried over, bringing Luke's attention to us as well.

"Oh dear Goddess. Please tell me nothing bad happened." The brunette fretted wistfully.

Maya opened her mouth to explain but Luke quickly cut in.

"Well, I like to cut-up more than the next person. But there's no use doing something that you know you're gonna get in trouble for, if you're not ready to get in trouble for it." Luke said, sounding very wise though he was really just pulling stuff from the rear end of his bandana.

Maya glared up at him.

"What can I get you?" She asked, standing up with much reluctance.

"Some Sauteed Spinach and a side of Coconut Juice. Make it to go." He answered with a smile before taking Maya's seat next to me.

Renee sat down at my other side as I tried avoiding Luke's gaze. He was really freaking me out with his weird behavior.

"So, you have to go file papers, right?" He inquired with a cheery voice.

"Yeah..." I grumbled, not wanting to talk at the moment.

"Why'd you do it?"

Renee and I looked at him in surprise.

"Actually I should be asking _how_ you did it. A newcomer like yourself totally wouldn't know where I keep that key unless you've been watching me like, a super hawk or something." His eyes seemed to glisten at the thought.

Uh...yeah there was no way I was watching him.

"That couldn't be possible since I've been trying to avoid you..." I muttered, looking away from him again.

He put a hand to his heart and pouted.

"That hurts. It does." He said, though it was definitely not genuine.

"Whatever."

"Anyway, then you see my point, right?"

"And what would that be?" I asked and the man gave a smile.

"If you're new here, there's no way you'd know about the key to the Fugue Forest, or about anything cool that could possibly be in there-"

"I wanted inspiration for a new song, Sherlock." I cut him off as soon as I saw the fear spread in Renee's eyes. We both knew where he was going with this, but I wasn't going to let him take it that far.

"Still, how does that explain how you knew where the key was?"

I stayed silent as he rose from his chair, right when Maya was bringing our orders.

"All I'm saying," He started as he grabbed his bag and to go cup.

"Is that you don't have to mess yourself up for someone else." He said, and with that, he left the Inn, leaving the three of us feeling very conflicted.

"Luke isn't usually this...devious." Renee worriedly murmured.

Maya looked to me with a sigh.

"Do you want me to go tell them that I did it?" She asked.

I shook my head furiously.

"No! I went to too much trouble with my lies. If we told the truth now, we'd all be in trouble instead of just me and the punishment could be worse." I rubbed temples with much exasperation.

"I just need to figure out how to explain to Kathy and Hayden that I'm not going to be able to make it to work on time. Maybe I can finish up fast enough to be done by 6:45 PM or something tomorrow." I sighed.

"There's no way. Even with mine and Renee's help there would be, like, no way it would get done in less than two hours. Town Hall has every single document in there since the founding of the island." Maya said with much chagrin.

Renee's head suddenly snapped up and she seemed to have an epiphany.

"I think I have an idea!" Renee proclaimed with a grin.

"Well, don't keep it to yourself!" Maya said as I dug into my pancakes sluggishly.

"Why don't we set up a camera to tape Molly and then show that instead? It could be like-"

"Like a MV! Her big debut!" Maya said, suddenly getting into it.

"Yeah!" Renee exclaimed.

I perked up at their idea. It sounded like they were really going somewhere with this. Only-

"How are we going to get the video to play to the whole Bar?" I asked.

The two of them fell silent before looking at each other.

"Phoebe." They said in unison.

"Phoebe? Who's that."

"She's the smartest girl on the island! No, the smartest person! She knows a lot about mechanics and electronics. I'm sure she could help." Maya explained.

"Well, where is she?"

"She lives with her parents at the General Store up in the Garmon Mine District. You'll have to go past the Carpenter's where Luke works, but if you don't mind that then it will be easy." Renee said.

"Screw being weirded out by Luke! I'll walk through a _sea_ of Lukes if I have to! I'm gonna go talk to Phoebe." I declared.

"I'll come with you." Renee volunteered.

Maya pouted.

"Lucky...you two get to go out while I have to stay here and work."

I laughed and gave a shrug.

"Guess that's karma for you. If you hadn't have stolen the key-"

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, just go as Phoebe. You only have two days so you'll need all the time you have."

We didn't hesitate to take Maya's words to heart. Time was of the essence, and we had to use it to it's fullest.

**X**

**X**

**X**

"No." The greenette answered as she continued to work on the machine in front of her.

My mood deflated with that one word. Why couldn't anything ever be simple?

"Can we ask why?" Renee pleaded with her.

She turned to Renee and me, blowing some hair out of her face so her equally green eyes could meet ours.

"Look, I'd love to help you, but I'm pressed for time myself here. You see this," She pointed to the machine.

"Needs to be done in time to send to the mainland for mass production. I still have to find 12 more rare ore so I can finish building the rest of it. Unfortunately, rare ore isn't an easy find." Phoebe said, seeming very unhappy about her situation.

"Sorry, but since there isn't a farmer around to be able to provide all my necessities, easily, I'm pretty much stuck with looking for it myself. If I had the time, I would help."

"We'll do it!" I quickly exclaimed.

Phoebe's eyes popped open wider while Renee looked at me as if I was crazy.

"We will?" Renee asked.

"You will?" Phoebe said in shock.

"We will! We'll get you 12 rare ore so then you can help us by Monday. Sound fair?" I said and held my hand out to her.

She gave me a curious look for a moment before grabbing hold of m hand and shaking it with a smile.

"Sounds fair enough to me. You get me those rare ore and I'll get you hooked up in time for your show." She said with an elated grin, probably because she wasn't the one who had to go into the mines now.

Upon leaving the General Store, Renee started to rant.

"Molly, we can't _possibly_ do this! It's dangerous in the mines and neither you nor I know the first thing about mining! We don't even have a _hammer_!"

"Calm down! That's why we go ask an expert!" I explained.

"Well...I don't think Ramsey would appreciate us interrupting his work." Renee mumbled.

"What about that guy I've been seeing, Owen right? He works in the Blacksmith's."

"Yes, he's Ramsey's Grandson. He's very kind, so he might be willing to lend us a hand." Renee agreed.

"Lend you a hand with what?" A voice spoke from our right and we turned to see Owen making his way toward us.

He stopped as soon as he crossed the small bridge that went over the tiny creek which separated the General Store and the Accessory Shop.

"Oh, just the man we were looking for." I exclaimed.

For a huge guy, I have to say that Owen was still pretty cute when he tilted his head to the side.

"Yeah, I thought I heard my name. How can I help you girls out?" He inquired.

"Well, we were hoping that you had some time to teach us about mining." Renee said.

"Yeah, we have to collect rare ore but we're not as experienced as you, as you can probably tell." I chuckled.

Owen scratched the back of his head, giving a worried look.

"Well, sure but...Renee's not even dressed for mining. That dress could be pretty dangerous in the mines. Plus I only have one spare hammer."

"Oh. I see." Renee fiddled with her dress, frowning down at the yellow fabric.

"It's okay! You can help me by making food so I don't run out of energy Renee."

"Oh! That sounds like a wonderful idea. Owen, you don't think Ramsey would mind if I used your kitchen to make the food."

"Not as long as you make us some too." Owen said with a chuckle in his tone.

"Haha! I think I can manage that!" Renee giggled.

**X**

**X**

**X**

"_AHHH!_" I shouted as I smashed another rock into oblivion, gleaming at the prized rare ore.

Owen clapped and gave a whistle as I dropped it into the bag with the others.

"Only 1 more to go!" I cheered, though I was really exhausted.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd be this good at mining. I have to say, I'm really surprised." Owen smiled.

"Me too! But I guess I just have a lot of energy from having worked so hard my whole life." I giggled and started smashing rocks again.

Owen and I were on the 37th floor of the mine, which is why Owen was supervising me closely. It got increasingly dangerous as you lowered down, so he was there as a safety precaution, just in case I fall through a pitfall or faint.

As I smashed away at more of the rocks, I could feel myself get a little less energetic; we'd been at this for over four hours after all.

"I hear that you're the new entertainment at the bar." Owen suddenly spoke up as he watched me. Currently, he was leaning against the mine's walls.

"Yeah...I'm the new...singer." I said through the swings of the hammer.

"It's impressive that you're willing to go so far for your job. Most people would kiss up to their boss...but you work just like a blue collar man." He said.

"Yeah well...when things get...tough...you gotta get...tougher!" I shouted the last word as I broke through the rock, only for it to reveal a gold ore.

"Drat." I muttered, suddenly leaning against my hammer. I still stuffed the gold ore into my own pouch instead of the sack holding all of the rare ore. It could be a nice souvenier.

"Hold on, don't work yourseld too hard all at once. Have a rice ball." Owen said and held the food to my mouth since my arms were too tired to grab hold of it.

"Thanks." I said thankfully and bit into it, feeling energized again.

Owen gave a chuckle, his cheeks being embedded by dimples that made him look adorably handsome.

"You're kind of cute, you know that?" He said and my face darkened.

"Eh?" I shouted.

"Haha! Don't worry, I'm not interested or anything. I just speak my mind that's all. Plus, I think Luke's into you anyway." Owen said as he let me finish the rice ball before wiping off his hands.

"Nuh-nuh. Ruke hash been actin vewwy..." I gulped down the rice ball.

"Very weird. It has me feeling odd." I said with a sigh.

"Well, I won't deny that Luke has a weird way of acting, but that's an everyday thing." Owen admitted with a shrug.

"Well yeah. But from what I'm hearing, Luke's been acting a different kind of weird. I've been told he isn't usually as flirty or as devious and stuff of that nature."

"Well, it could be that he just likes you _that _much." Owen offered.

"Heh, doubt it." I said and went back to smashing rocks.

"You never know." Owen muttered as I broke the rock and got the last rare ore I needed.

"_Yes! Yes! YES!" _I shouted and jumped with glee.

"Don't get so energetic all of a sudden. You'll wear yourself out." Owen chastised me, but laughed all the same.

I didn't pay much mind to Owen as I started to speed up the stairs that would lead us to the entrance. It didn't take very long when you weren't looking for stuff.

"So happy, I'm going to keep my job~" I sang tiredly when we reached the exit.

"Hah, good work today. Maybe you can come up and help me sometime." Owen joked.

"HA! No way!" I giggled.

"Molly?"

I whipped my head up to see Gill and Luke standing near the mining cart with the blonde boy I knew to be Bo.

"Whoa! You look like you just wrestled around in the dirt!" Luke commented as he looked me up and down.

I looked down at myself, not realizing how dirty I had gotten. Oh great, and here I was in the presence of guys near my age group. Not exactly a great impression on my part. I probably smelt like molten rock or something.

"She asked me to take her down and show her how to mine. She's pretty good at it actually; kind of a natural." Owen spoke up cheerily.

I could see Luke give a frown and Gill crossed his arms.

"I see." He murmured, a nonchalant look on his face.

Thankfully, the awkward moment was interrupted by Maya and Renee.

"Hey! Did you get them!" Maya had called as she rushed from the Blacksmith's shop, Renee close behind.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, sure did!" I said and held out the sack to them.

Maya took it and looked inside.

"Wow! Way to go! Looks like you got just enough!" Maya said and took it in her arms.

"Mmhmm. Can you get that to Phoebe while I go take a shower? I kind of need one." I laughed stiffly.

Renee giggled.

"Sure, we'll handle it. You better hurry before you have to run into the Bar visitors though. Hayden would be angry if you made the customers think that the staff was dirty, right?" The brunette said.

"Gah! You're right!" I shouted.

I looked back to Owen.

"Thanks again for helping me out. I _really_ appreciate it."

I turned back to the other three who seemed curious about our conversation, though it wasn't any of their business.

"Bye!" I said and started my sprint back to the Bar.

I happened to crash into Chase as I reached the bar...I mean literally crash into him. He held tightly onto the door, giving a slight yelp as I nearly fell to the ground.

"What the-" He started, looking me up and down, obviously noticing the grime and dirt staining my clothes and body.

"Can't talk! Shower!" I panted and practically bowled him over to get inside to the bathroom.

Selena and Kathy were getting ready for the night when I ran in and slammed the door behind me, locking it shut as I heard Chase swearing at me from the bar. I panted against the door before turning to face the two girls, both staring at me with wide eyes.

"Uhhh..." Selena muttered as she looked at my appearance.

"What did you do?" Kathy asked, looking baffled.

"Hahahaha! Nothing!" I exclaimed and went to my dresser for my clothes. For some strange reason I was feeling nervous about my plan. If I just put a video of myself at the Bar, would Kathy fell that I wasn't dedicatd to showing up. Maybe they'd think I had stage fright? That wouldn't be good! Selena might even go as far as to say that I was stuck-up, not wanting to have to appear in public if I didn't have to. That _really _wouldn't be good.

"Molly, did you get mugged?" Kathy called worriedly from the vanity.

"Ha! Mugged! That's a good one Kathy!" I laughed and dashed for the bathroom, starting the shower in a rush.

"Okay...well be out soon! I expect you to help serve food tonight since you're not working for real until tomorrow." Kathy called.

"Okay!" I called back as I stripped myself of my dirty clothes, kicking them into the dirty pile that had accumulated in the corner.

"And _DO NOT_ use my Hibiscus and Honey soap or you're dead meat!" Selena added.

"Alright!" I shouted back in a huff.

"Who wants to use your friggin' soap anyway..." I muttered.

"What was that!" Selena seemed to roar from the other side of the door.

"Nothing!" I shouted back, surprised she could hear me.

For the rest of the night, I served food to the various bar patrons, I couldn't handle the alcoholic drinks since I was still only 20.

I noticed Luke and Gill sitting at one of the tables, they had blueprints spilled out over the table so I could only assume it was for the Town Hall renovations.

Luckily for me, Kathy was in charge of their table and the bar wasn't too crowded that it would cause me to have to stand in for her at any of her tables. I'd hate to go talk tothe two of them right now when I was too nervous to talk calmly. My plan wasn't illegal or anything, but I think I just wanted to leave it a surprise. It seemed better that way.

Kathy sent me back to the room before the night got too late. Apparently, the guests tended to get sleazy as the night progressed and she didn't want me to have to deal with any drunks tonight. Of course, they were probably grabbing on Kathy and oggling Selena, so little ol' me being out there wouldn't have made a difference.

So while they were serving them for the rest of the night, I decided to practice my number for tomorrow. I had a few ideas, but I didn't want to do anything too risky.

**X**

**X**

**X**

"So you're going to hook up a live cam?" I asked in astonishment as Phoebe messed around with a few chords in her hands.

"Yes, we'll have to do it while they're renovating though, there's no other way."

Phoebe had come early in the morning to run things by me before she did anything. Selena, Kathy, and Hayden weren't up yet.

"Well, how will we show it in the Bar?" I asked.

"Yes, I've asked Owen to bring the big screen down here right before 6 o' clock hits. While the Bar's doors open at 6, no one really starts coming in until around 6:30 and the only one watching who comes in will be Chase who doesn't normally care. I've already clarified that Hayden spends the extra time preparing things in the back, and the two girls usually have to fix themselves up in that time."

Phoebe pushed her glasses up on her nose with a smile.

"Maya has a laptop that I've got ready to calibrate with the feed, so all you have to do is get me into Town Hall."

"That's where are only problem is..." I grumbled.

"Well, you can tell Gill that you came early to check and see how many files there are...or maybe say you're there to offer him a gift. If you can get past Gill, I can easily persuade Luke into thinking Gill wanted some electrical wiring done. I'd be in and out in 3 seconds flat."

"Well, yeah...but I have no idea what Gill even likes besides tomatoes...and those aren't even in season right now." I huffed.

"He likes things like gold ore too, or honeydew."

"Gold...heh, how materialist-"

I stopped short and a smile spread to my face.

"You have-"

"I have gold ore." I confirmed with Phoebe before she could even say it.

Oh yeah, we were in.

I grabbed the gold ore from my pouch next to my bed before making my way with Phoebe down to the Town Hall. I could see Luke and Bo moving some stuff in already and Gill supervising their every move from the outside. Phoebe ushered me to go talk to Gill as she waited for her chance to move in on Luke.

"Hey, mornin'!" I called to Gill as Luke made his way into the building.

Gill turned his head in my direction; his ice blue hues looking into my brown ones, inquistion filling his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with a sigh as he glanced at his watch.

"It's 7 o'clock...shouldn't you be asleep?" He asked.

"Oh? What, so now I'm _lazy_?" I scoffed.

He crossed his arms and gave a sigh as he turned fully towards me.

"That's not what I meant."

Phoebe took her chance to sneak into the building while I distracted Gill. I gave a huge grin at the door, causing Gill to raise a brow.

"What? What are you looking at?" He asked and started to turn toward the door.

"Eh uh. Your shoulder! There was some fluff on it." I said and picked at his shoulder roughly.

"Hey! Cut that out!" He chastised me as he held onto my hand.

I laughed at his actions.

"Oh my, how straightforward of you." I gushed and his cheeks pinked.

"If you're only here to keep me from my work, then I'll have to say that you must leave until 6."

I pouted at him and he gave me a curious look.

"Which reminds me...how did it go? Was Kathy understanding?" He asked, seeming concerned.

"Uh...well. It's hard to explain."

He frowned at me.

"You know, if you had just told me the truth, then you wouldn't be in this situation." He sighed.

I put a hand to my hip.

"Hey, I told you the truth! I stole the key from Luke." I fumed.

"Really? So where was it when you 'stole' it from him? Hm?" Gill questioned, leaning towards me in an intimidating way.

I could feel myself sweat under the pressure...then my brain clicked.

"They were in his pants." I chirped.

"Lucky guess." Gill countered.

"Well..." I drawled.

"I don't want to have to go into details about _how _I got them..." I said, suggestively twirling my hair.

Gill let his mouth drop open a bit before shaking his head vehemently.

"Luke said he didn't know how you stole them, so just_ what_ exactly do you mean by that?" He asked.

"Oh, well I guess Luke wouldn't tell you the truth since he's probably, you know, _embarrassed_, by the whole encounter." I giggled.

"I mean, it happened," I let my hair bounce back into its place around my face.

"So suddenly." I gave a smile from underneath my lids, batting them slightly.

Gill's eyes popped out and I could tell he knew what I meant.

"Are you insinuating that you..._seduced_ him?" Gill asked, looking rather irritated now.

"That's such a...a _strong _word wouldn't you agree?" I asked.

Gill pinched the bridge of his nose as I gave a smirk. He was sure for a surprise when I said I was only kidding, he'd forget all about questioning me about the key and-

My chin was suddenly cupped in his hand, and I was made to face him. His eyes pierced into mine and I could see a sort of look in his eyes. Shocked by the suddeness, a shiver ran down my spine. I could feel my cheeks redden as he closed in on me and then said:

"You're messing with me..." He said in a husk.

. . .

"Eh?" I said as I tried to blink the heat off of my face.

Gill let his lip curl up and I could tell it was a devious smile on his face...a very odd occurence for his usually chilly persona.

"I caught you in your little game, Miss Molly. Someone who is willing to seduce a person would not get flustered as easily as you, an innocent young woman." Gill said.

"That is...unless that person happens to be entranced by a certain person, then your flustered features would makes sense," His smile broadened.

"Is that it, Molly? Are you _entranced_ by me?" He asked, a laugh in his tone, though it sounded cruel to me.

I pulled away from him abruptly, noticing Phoebe having been standing there watching the whole scene.

"Jerk." I muttered.

He crossed his arms in a condescending way.

"You started it, didn't you?" He asked.

I took the gold ore from my pocket and shoved it in his hand, roughly at that. I'm sure my face was the picturesque of angry.

"Just take this." I said and made my way back to the bar. I wanted to see his face when he realized what it was, but now I was angry at him and his comments.

Innocent, huh? Oh, did he have a surprise waiting for him.

**X**

**X**

**X**

At about 5:30 PM, I headed back to the Town Hall with Renee (not having told Renee and Maya about my encounter with Gill earlier). Renee was going to help me get as much filing done before the live video, and then I was going to finish it up as I sang...it was supposed to be part of the show.

When I faced Gill at the desk, he gazed at me, pulled out a few stacks of things, and led us to his office, where one of Phoebe's lean mean video machines were planted.

"Organize them by year, and within that year, do it in alphabetical order." He said and closed his office door.

"Did he seem mad to you?" Renee asked as she turned from the door.

I flipped through the files, checking their tabs and file names.

"Nope." I answered.

_~Maya's POV~_

"Owen, put it a little more to the left." Phoebe called to the big man.

"I just have to be the chivalrous type..." Owen grunted.

I giggled with amusement as I tinkered with the remote Phoebe had handed me.

"Maya, be careful with that!" Phoebe called.

"I know!"

I hit a button that caused the screen to go blue, startling Owen with the sudden light.

"_WHOA_!" He gasped and stumbled slightly.

Phoebe shook her head with her palm to her forehead; she stomped over to me and grabbed the remote, turning the screen back off.

"Oops. Sorry, Owen." I called to the big man.

"I need to learn how to say no..." He said, rubbing at his eyes.

"Maya, do you remember which buttons to press?" Phoebe asked about the procedures she went over with me last night.

"Um...the number 3 button was Molly's camera, right?"

"NO! Number _1_ Maya!" Phoebe said, and pointed at the remote.

"Press the blue button to turn on the screen, then press the number 1 button to turn on Molly's camera. Your laptop is already hooked up to transfer the data from the camera in Gill's office, to the big screen right here."

She pointed to a small green button next.

"Press _this _when you're ready to lower the screen."

"Okay." I nodded.

Phoebe gave an uncertain look towards me.

"Do you know how you're going to let Molly know that your turning the camera on?"

"Yup. Renee and I have walkee-talkies. We already tested to see if the signal reached far enough, and they work just fine!"

The greenette gave a sigh of relief before turning at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" Chase asked from behind the bar.

Owen stopped what he was doing to peer at the chef.

"Oh...um...funny story," I started.

"You see, we decided to hook up a projector to-"

"Nevermind, don't care." Chase grumbled as began to clean some cocktail glasses.

I could feel myself deflate at his sudden disinterest. Was it because I was talking?

"Oh...okay..." I muttered.

Phoebe sighed and looked over in Owen's direction.

"Perfect, they'll never notice the projector now. And the screen is positioned just right." Phoebe commented.

"Good, I'm too tired to keep this up." Owen yawned, sounding much like a sleepy lion.

"Thanks a lot big guy." I chirped happily and gave him a slap on the back.

He gave a yelp.

"Geez, Maya. I'm sore there!" Owen complained.

"Huh? Oh sorry! You want me to massage it? I'm pretty good at that." I offered.

Owen took one look at me and his face broke out into a grin as he pinched my cheeks.

"No wonder I couldn't say no. This face is too cute." He chuckled as he let go.

"What? No way! You think I'm cute~" I asked with a wide grin.

"Yeah. You're extremely cute." Owen nodded in agreement.

"Aww! Thank you, that really made my day." I giggled happily. I don't usually get such nice compliments, so I was really giddy with Owen's words. He was such a sweet guy, always boosting a girl's self-esteem.

"Well, ready to go? I'll buy you some Seafood Rice on the way back, for the help." Phoebe offered the gentle giant.

"Good, you better be buying after I worked my butt off." Owen said, a grin spread across his face.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've got you." Phoebe laughed before the both of them headed out the door.

"Buh-bye~" I called to them.

"Bye! We'll be back to see how Molly's performance goes." Phoebe answered.

"Yeah, it better be worth it!" Owen called as they left.

After staring after them, I turned to admire their work, only to see Chase staring at me with nonchalance.

"Um. What is it?" I asked timidly, expecting him to lash out at me for speaking to him again. Or maybe he'd tell me to shut-up, or that my hips looked too big in my jeans.

"Nothing." He said and went back to what he was doing.

"Oh...okay..." I murmured and made my way to my laptop on one of the side tables.

Everything was ready, now all I had to do was wait until after Selena's dance to get things started. Molly was going to be waiting on the other side of the camera by then.

"Ooooh, I can't _wait_ till' everyone gets a load of this." I muttered with a goofy smile on my face.

**~6:45 PM~**

Selena was about to finish up her dancing when I saw Gill and Luke come in.

I could see the alarm on Kathy's face as she approached them and I could feel the alert rise in my body. Of course, Kathy was obviously asking about Molly!

Owen and Phoebe walked in right when Gill seemed to be explaining the situation to Kathy, looking rather shocked by Kathy's reaction.

Kathy's shoulders went stiff as her eyes shined with anger. She must've thought Molly bailed.

"What's going on?" Phoebe asked as Owen eyed Kathy worriedly.

"It looks like Kathy is about to lose it." I said worriedly.

"That's never good." Owen commented, watching as the irate blonde made her way to the stage. There, an angry looking Selena stood with a hand on her hip.

"Maya, now would be a good time to get things started." Phoebe said.

"On it." I said and pulled out the Walkee-talkie.

"Mama Bear, this is Goldilocks. The porridge is just right. I repeat, the porridge is just right." I said.

"Ugh, why are we using codes?" Renee grumbled.

"Because! It's cooler that way! Now, tell Baby Bear to get her booty into gear!" I said.

"Yes, yes." Renee sighed and I pressed the button to bring the screen down slowly.

"Good evening everyone! We have an unfortunate announcement to ma-what the?" Kathy started to say before noticing the big white screen descending from the Bar's rafters.

Confused murmurs started proceeded to fill the bar as Selena and Kathy practically hopped in fear from the stage.

"Daddy! What's going on?" Kathy called to Hayden.

"I'm...not sure." Hayden answered.

"Oh...you guys didn't know about this?" Chase asked and they all turned to him in surprise as I turned on the monitor and pressed the number 1 button, revealing a dark room with an outline of Molly's shillouette on the screen.

"Is that...?" Gill muttered.

"Hit it." I said into the Walkee-Talkie and the lights suddenly came on, revealing Molly clad in a yellow and orange argyle dress that stretched to her knees, she wore yellow thigh-high socks and little black flats. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and she had costume glasses on, courtesy of moi. She looked very modest...or so everyone thought.

The music started to play:

**_Duffy: Mercy_**

**_Yeah yeah yeah _**

Molly started as she sat on Gill's desk, looking at the few file's in her hands. I could practically see Gill's mouth drop open.

Heh heh, eat your heart out Mr. Hamilton.

As she started to get to the actual words, Molly looked up to the screen, her glasses tilted down her face.

_**I love you**_

_**But I gotta stay true**_

She got to her knees

_**My morals got me on my knees**_

_**I'm beggin please, stop playin' games~**_

She stood up and started to file away the papers. Opening the cabinet slowly, dropping the folders in, and then slamming it with her foot. She then started to strut around with the music, sweeping her hand across the desk as if she were looking through papers.

_**I don't what this is **_

_**But you got me good**_

_**Just like you knew you would**_

_**I don't know what you do**_

_**But you do it well**_

_**I'm under your spell**_

She clasped her hands together as she tapped her foot more rapidly, giving a wink to the camera.

_**You got me begging you for mercy!**_

_**Why won't you release me?**_

_**You got me begging you for mercy!**_

She ran for the door that was open a crack, but it was slammed shut in her face. I could tell she got Renee to help her out with that.

_**Why won't you release me?**_

She leaned backwards against the door, taking her hair out the pinned up hairstyle and shaking it wildly around.

_**I said release-me~**_

_**Now you think that I  
>will be something on the side<br>but you got to understand  
>that I need a man<br>who can take my hand yes I do**_

**I don't know what this is**  
><strong>but you got me good<strong>  
><strong>just like you knew you would<strong>

**I don't know what you do**  
><strong>but you do it well<strong>  
><strong>I'm under your spell<strong>

**You got me begging you for mercy**  
><strong>why won't you release me<strong>  
><strong>you got me begging you for mercy<strong>  
><strong>why wont you release me<strong>  
><strong>I said you'd better release yeah yeah yeah<strong>

**I'm begging you for mercy**  
><strong>yes why won't you release me<strong>  
><strong>I'm begging you for mercy<strong>

**you got me begging**  
><strong>you got me begging<strong>  
><strong>you got me begging<strong>

**Mercy, why won't you release me**  
><strong>I'm begging you for mercy<strong>  
><strong>why won't you release me<strong>

**you got me begging you for mercy**  
><strong>I'm begging you for mercy<strong>  
><strong>I'm begging you for mercy<strong>  
><strong>I'm begging you for mercy<strong>  
><strong>I'm begging you for mercy<strong>

**Why won't you release me yeah yeah**  
><strong>break it down<strong>

By the end of it, Molly way swinging her hips from side to side, her dress falling off her shouldre slighty, revealing part of her bra strap. She looked really wild now that her glasses slipped even lower down her face. The last thing she did was open a file, flip through it, glance at the camera, and then she threw it on Gill's desk before walking out and turning off the light.

I turned the camera off then, giving her a dramatic effect as the screen rolled back up.

Needless to say, the crowd loved it.

"That was actually worth the effort!" Owen shouted as he clapped along with the crowd.

"Agreed!" Phoebe nodded.

I smiled widely.

"I'm sure Molly thinks so too!"

How about a drink? I'm buying." Owen said.

I faltered slightly at the mention of alcohol. I wasn't old enough to drink legally yet afterall.

"Owen, have you forgotten Maya's age?" Gill said as he came up behind Phoebe and Owen.

Owen gave a frown.

"Oh, that's right. Sorry, it kind of slipped my mind." Owen said, giving me an apologetic glance.

"Maybe some other time then." Phoebe offered before the duo got up to head to the bar. I couldn't blame them; I bet a cold cocktail would hit the spot after all the work they've done for us.

I watched them go, feeling very child-like under Gill's icy glare.

"Maya, what exactly was _that?" _Gill demanded as soon as the two were out of earshot, gesturing to the stage where the screen had just been.

"Molly's performance...duh." I said and rolled my eyes.

He rubbed at his temples.

"That's not what I meant." He grumbled.

"Well, what do you want from me then?" I asked with huff.

The platinum blonde gave me a deadly look right before Molly and Renee came strolling into the bar. They both got huge smiles on their faces until Molly saw Gill looking her way. Then, my friend quickly turned away and walked toward her room in the back, Kathy and Selena following her with strides of purpose.

"Oh no, she's not getting away." Gill muttered before also making a beeline for the backrooms.

Renee came to my side, looking concerned.

"Maya?" She muttered in question.

"Renee, I think we did more harm than good." I groaned, leaning on the table with my head in my hands.

"How is she going to get out of this? She already took the blame for the stolen key." Renee fretted.

I grimaced into the table, letting my thoughts drift cautiously through my head. I had to think, and fast.

* * *

><p><strong>Ugh...that was friggin' long! I think I rushed it a bit near the end, so it might not be as good, but I tried. Possibly a little too hard. Maybe this should have been two separate chapters?...<strong>

**Nah~**

**Anyway, review if you happen to have the time! I'll keep this story on my "To Update" list (yes, I have one, which means I haven't forgotten you guys yet :D).**

**Buh-bye~**


End file.
